United Way, Roger Staubach watched girl grow in series of TV ads

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Tom Fox/Staff Photographer

Nearly four decades after she was first featured in a United Way commercial, Gayla Vaughan lives in Frisco and has fond memories of her appearances on behalf of the organization with Cowboys legend Roger Staubach.

At age 7, Gayla Vaughan didn’t know her co-star in several United Way national TV spots as one of Dallas’ most beloved sports figures.

It was 1974, and Dallas Cowboy Roger Staubach held Gayla in his lap in front of a camera, calling her successful open-heart surgery a day or two earlier a “great moment” in her life.

“He was kind of a father figure,” said Vaughan, now a mother of two and in her 40s. “He’d joke between takes and would just make me laugh.”

United Way Worldwide is celebrating its 40-year partnership with the National Football League, which has donated about $1 billion in advertising over the years and lent a voice for the nonprofit’s causes.

Staubach served on United Way’s board of governors for several years and has been an advocate for the organization for decades. Other football players through the years, including Cowboys Troy Aikman and Jason Witten, followed in his footsteps, and many are leading service projects in their communities to commemorate the anniversary.

“When you’re on a team, you get a lot of requests out in the community, but you can’t do everything,” Staubach said. “But you want to do something. The United Way is like a holding company. Your money is going to a lot of different causes in the community.”

The first campaign began in 1973, with TV spots airing the following year featuring Staubach and Franco Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The two were paired up with children who were helped by United Way service providers.

In Staubach’s case, it was a heartbreaking start. He was paired with a young boy who faced a difficult heart surgery at Children’s Medical Center. He did not survive.

“I met him and held his hand,” Staubach recalled recently. “So it was difficult when they told me he didn’t make it.”

United Way searched for another child and found Gayla walking the halls of the hospital following her surgery and asked her parents to feature her. They were thrilled to say yes, Vaughan said.

“After what happened at first, it was a little emotional meeting her soon after her surgery,” Staubach said.

The two shot a 30-second commercial at the hospital. And the country was introduced to Gayla’s story.

Keeping up

Two more television spots came after that. The camera crews followed Gayla in school, at dance and piano class. Gayla and Staubach went to the prom, and after graduating from college, Gayla was married. She re-enacted her wedding in Highland Park for a commercial.

They shot the final spot in 1993, a day before Gayla had her daughter, Ashley.

“They joked, ‘We’ll see you in the delivery room,’” Vaughan said. “And that’s when I thought, oh no, that’s where we’ll draw the line.”

Vaughan lives in Frisco and teaches fashion design at Plano East High School. Her daughter is now 20 and in college. Her son is 15 and loves sports. She’s done many speeches and interviews for United Way, she said, but not in a long time.

“They’d just call every so often to check in,” Vaughan said. “I’m really shy, but they’d say that people wanted to hear my story. I’m not the only one with a story, but I’m happy to help.”

Reunion coming

Staubach and Vaughan have stayed in touch for years, seeing each other at Cowboys and United Way events and exchanging Christmas cards, though it’s been about eight years since they’ve seen each other.

“I watched her grow up and become this woman who is successful and takes care of her family,” Staubach said. “I would have loved to have lunch with her. Or if she just needed Cowboys tickets, I would have done anything for her. I think she’s bashful about that.”

The two are scheduled to be reunited at an event celebrating the 90th anniversary of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the 40th year of working with the NFL.

Vaughan is curious about how the superstar athlete looks now that he’s 71. “I’m excited to see him; he’s really one of the good ones,” she said.

And if it comes up, she might take him up on those Cowboys tickets — or maybe a No. 12 Cowboys jersey.

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